Cleansing hair and feathers from insects



WILLIAM WISDOM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CLEANSING HAIR AND FEATHERS FROM I'NsEc'rs, 86f}.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,347, dated December 20, 1853. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM IVISDOM, of the city of Cleveland, county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Mode of Cleansing Hair Preparatory to Curling for Upholstery Purposes, which process may also be applied to feathers, infected clothing, &c.; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the process and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, the different parts of the apparatus being referred to, as they occur in the description.

The principal object in this invention being the preparation of hair for curling, and the purifying of old hair in mattresses, my description will be confined chiefly to this article; but little variation being needed, in its application to other purposes, these slight alterations will be readily comprehended and applied by the operator.

The'first process in my invention or discovery is to take the hair to be curled and wash it thoroughly in clear water, and place it in a situation where it will be well drained. I then prepare a bath for its reception, for which purpose I prefer a vessel constructed after the form shown atFigure 1 in the drawing, of greater or less size,

according to the amount of business carried on. A vat constructed after this form, and holding about twelve barrels, is of very suitable dimensions. This vatis open at the top through its whole extent, and closed at pleasure by tight doors or covers, as shown at A Fig. 1. The vat should be filled with water, and about ten pounds of'sal soda dissolved in twelve barrels of water. I put the hair, which has been previously washed in water, into this bath, and let it remain for one hour. It is then taken out to-drain. The next process is, to subject it to the antiseptic influence of a vapor bath of chlorin gas. For this purpose I construct the bath chamber Fig. 2, which should be twelve feet long and six feet wide and strongly bound and air tight, or nearly so, on account of the noxious quality of the gas to be used in the process. ber is filled with slide racks, having slat bottoms upon which the hair is placed, constructed as shown at Figs. 3 and 4, to admit of a free circulation of the gas between the racks. These racks occupy each end of The interior of this chama Fig. 5, leaving a small space in the center for the purpose of enabling the gas tocirculate more freely among the racks. The racks are arranged one above another as seen in transverse section Fig. 6. After the racks are properly filled with hair, they 'are'slid into their places upon the ledges formed for their reception, and shown at B B, &c., Fig. 6. The chamber is then to be closed with doors which fit t-ight'into the enduof the bath chamber, as shown at C C, Fig. 2, where they are securedqb-y the bars D D,-which enter a slot prepared for their reception. The'joint-s around the doors are then to be luted with clay mortar to prevent the escape .of the gas. A stop cockis inserted into the center of the chamber at the top, as shown atE, Fig. 2, for

the purpose of conveying the gasout of the building when; the process of purifica'-- tion is completed. This is accomplished'by connecting apipe with the stop cook, sufficiently long to convey the gas to the place of exit. After the atmospherioair is all driven out of the chamber by the introduction of the gas, the stop cock should be" closed, toprevent the further escape of the gas during the process of purification, and when this process is completed, the whole of the gas may be suffered to escape.- Upon the side of the chamber, and near its bottom,

as seen at F, Fig. 2, is inserted a nozzle for For. the purpose of producing the chlorin gas, a

the purpose of'intr'oducing the gas.

common glass or earthen retort is used, the pipe of which is introduced into the nozzle F, and later with moist clay. Inthis retort is then placed the black oxid of manganese and muriatic acid then by the application of the heat of a spirit lamp, the chlorin gas in evolved; or chlo-rid of sodium (common salt) and sulfuric acid,

may be used, or any other material. from which chlorin gas can be evolved. The

length of time the hair should remain in;

the gas chamber, exposed to the action of the gas, should be from three to four hours; The retort maythen be removed, and the stop cock E, opened, which allows the gas to escape out of the building; let it" so remain half an hour, then pass down the V pipe F into the lead reservoir below, strong spirits of ammonia, in sufficient quantity to cover the bottom. This will extract what remains of the gas from the material. The

prevents the breeding of noxious insects at the same time that it annihilates any that may be present in the material submitted to its action.

washed in a solution of it to cleanse it and the vapor bath of chlorin gas which follows, destroys all animal matter and life, at the same time it is applied in such proportions that the fabric is entirely uninjured while lime (the agent at present employed) deteriorates the material by burning or scorch ing the fiber and partially destroying its elasticity.

Chlorin in a gaseous form has never been The sa-l soda is used merely as an auxillary, the materials belng first.

applied in manner and by means set forth, for purifying hair and feathers, although inra crude state it was and is at the present time used for bleaching textile fabrics. It is also applicable to furs, soiled clothing, 620., but little variation being needed in its application; the principal object however is the purifying and cleansing hair and feathers to prepare them for unholstery purposes and to renovate those which have already been so employed by destroying all animal life contained in them or matter which would if not so destroyed produce life.

I disclaim to be the originator of sa-l soda as a purifying agent, but

\Vhat I' do claim as my invention and de-v sire to secure by Letters Patent is- Purifying hair and feathers by destroying all noxious insects or infectious matter contained therein by subjecting the same to a vapor bath of chlorin gas after the material has been cleansed by a bath of sal soda, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM WISDOM.

WVitnesses:

i W. H. BURRIDGE, JOHN N. BARR. 

